May 2002

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“COME!” PART TWO

Having some problems getting your dog back at the park? Here are some tips to get you and your dog working together.....

Last month we covered the basics of positive reinforcement, and how to get your dog started by rewarding him for “checking in.” If you missed last month’s column take a look at the April newsletter.

The hard part about calling your dog at the park is that playing in the sand is FUN! They need a reason to leave it and come back to you. If you have problems with this you need to practice at home where it’s boring before you can expect them to respond at the park.

Several times (at least ten) over the course of the day, call your dog to you and give them a treat. It’s essential that you praise your dog enthusiastically as they’re coming to you and when you give them the treat. You want to connect the praise with the treat in the dog’s mind. If you forgot to the treat, praise and race with your dog to get a treat. After all, we’re not trying to play a trick on the dog. Try setting out a few small bowls around your house with treats in them (in a dog-proof place!) so you have them close at hand.

Slowly begin to increase distance and distraction. Don’t test your dog. Call your dog when you really believe they will come. If you guessed wrong and they don’t come you need to make it easier: Get closer, use better treats, or go to a quieter place. Always cheer them on the whole way. Think of the recall as a chain of behaviors (look, turn, move toward you...)and you want to reward the whole chain Success builds reliability, you want them to rehearse the correct behavior, not the incorrect one.

When you’re ready to try it at the park, remember to call your dog several times. Don’t just use the recall to end their fun. Call them when they’re not doing much, make it a highlight. Have your treats in your pocket and don’t be stingy with them. If your dog is far away from you they may have trouble picking you out of the crowd. If they’re standing there looking your way you should try moving a little, or signalling with your arms because dogs are much better at identifying moving objects.

Remember - coming to you should always be a good thing. Never call your dog to you to punish them. After all, they did come to you - they did what you asked, so be fair and be positive.

Sources:

Purely Positive Training
by Sheila Booth

Culture Clash
by Jean Donaldson

ClickerSolutions.com

The Well Mannered Dog

Buy Training Treats from SitStay.com

NEWS ON NEW PARKS

The Parks & Recreation Commission has organized a subcommittee on Dog Parks. The subcommittee members are Michael Callies, Steve Fitch, and Nancy DeGhionno.

The Mayor addressed the Commission at the April meeting to clarify the City Councils intent, so we invited the Mayor to present this position here:

A Message from the Mayor
In January of this year the Encinitas City Council conducted our goal setting session for the year. This is a noticed meeting with all Council members and Department Heads in attendance.

This year we set a goal of establishing a dedicated dog park that would a be property specifically fenced for dog use only. It was further discussed that we can look at options that could even give us more than one site. In our discussion we felt that it was very important to evaluate and move to develop this idea before we examined any additional parks for off leash hours.

Shortly after our goal setting session, PADZ made a presentation that evaluated five different sites in Encinitas that should be considered for a dog park. The Council was very pleased with the information given and felt that this was a big step forward to achieving our goal. At that time we wanted it communicated to the Parks & Recreation Commission that we would like them to begin the process of evaluating the sites presented and make recommendations to the Council.

When the Parks & Recreation Commission began the process, somehow it seemed to get turned around and they began evaluating already existing parks for off leash hours. This began a polarization of groups that were concerned with sharing of the parks. The Council was concerned about this possibility, which is why we wanted to evaluate the dedicated dog park issue first. As Mayor, I went before the Commission and requested that they reconsider the order in which they address this issue. The Council would like them to work on the dedicated dog park issue first. If it were found after we establish dog parks that we still need additional services, then it would be appropriate to continue studying off leash hours at the existing parks.
The Council is dedicated to fulfilling this goal as soon as possible and feel that the Parks and Recreation Commission will assist us in doing this in a timely and efficient manner.

Sincerely,
Christy Guerin,
Mayor, City of Encinitas

You can help!

Write to local newspapers and politicians.

Attend municiple meetings when dog parks are being discussed.

Help educate fellow park users on dog park etiquette.

IT'S GETTING WARMER...
... and our furry friends get hot when exercising at the park. Don’t forget to bring water for your dog, or at least a bowl to fill at the drinking fountain (we don’t want to slobber up the bubbler!).

BAGSBAGSBAGS
With park use at all-time highs the bag dispensers are running empty more often. Plan on bringing bags from home so we can ensure that the dispensers have bags for those less prepared. Reuse your grocery and newspaper bags, or buy specially designed ones.

Buy from SitStay.com and PADZ earns 8%

If you want to purchase the same biodegradable bags that are supplied at the park you can. For small quantities visit muttmitt.com, for large quantities at low prices go to pickupmitts.com and split the price with friends.